The United Nations says at least 8 million school-aged children in Sudan are out of school. That is roughly one and a half times the entire population of Norway — children, not adults.

The warning

The UN warned that at least 8 million school-aged children remain out of school in war-torn Sudan, as the conflict drives displacement and deprives millions of children of education, Anadolu Agency reported on Saturday.

What is happening in Sudan

Sudan has been consumed by war since 2023, when fighting broke out between the national army and a powerful paramilitary force that had previously been part of the state’s own security structure. The result has been one of the largest displacement crises in the world, with millions forced from their homes inside the country and across borders into neighbouring states.

Why lost schooling is its own emergency

Education is often treated as the soft part of a humanitarian response — food and medicine first, classrooms later. But long gaps in schooling are hard to reverse. Children who leave school during a war frequently never return: girls face early marriage, boys are recruited or pushed into work, and families who have lost everything cannot afford fees or uniforms even when a school reopens.

Schools also do quiet double duty in a crisis. They provide meals, a daily routine, and a place where adults notice when a child is unwell or unsafe. When they close, all of that disappears with them.

Why you may not have heard much about Sudan

Sudan’s war is among the largest and least covered conflicts in the world. Access for journalists is dangerous and restricted, and international attention has been concentrated elsewhere. Plain Sight News will keep reporting on it — a story does not stop mattering because it has stopped trending.

Source: Anadolu Agency morning briefing, 8 August 2026.